


Coffee and Crackers

by ImperfectOrphanage



Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-29
Updated: 2017-08-29
Packaged: 2018-12-21 04:26:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11936286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImperfectOrphanage/pseuds/ImperfectOrphanage
Summary: It's just another night in fair Shibuya.Well, kinda. Joshua is drunk and Neku is tasked with sobering him up...again.





	Coffee and Crackers

Neku couldn’t believe his luck.

He’d been working late hours at his internship with a local temp agency that sent him out from business to business for little jobs with less pay. Tuesday was a long day. Wednesday bled into Thursday. Friday came and Saturday disappeared, and soon it was Saturday night. Neku had decided to do the boring thing and go home, get dressed in comfortable clothes, and veg out in front of the television. It was going to be the best night of the week and-of course-something had to ruin it.

Well, some _one_.

“Phones, I ain’t askin’ much,” the voice of his idol and now close friend was begging on the other end of the phone with a crowd of people in the background. “I ain’t got time fer Josh’s shenanigans, I’m in the middle of a shoot.”

“Drunk, huh?”

“Don’t make a big deal about it an’ I’ll help ya wit’ work.”

“That’s a nice offer.” Neku grinned and glanced at his fingernails as if it could be seen. “Free coffee and meals for one month and two weeks assistance on projects.”

“C’mon, Phones-“

Neku said nothing. He waited.

“Fine. Go drag ‘is ass outta the bar an’ get ‘im home.”

“Sure thing, _boss_ ,” he teased. “Text me the info.”

He hung up, heard the beep, and checked the address. Yep. It was the same place. At least he was old enough to drink and gain entry into the bar. Beat was a bouncer at the club next door and if Joshua got unruly, Beat’d be able to help. Neku wasn’t sure what side of Joshua he’d see. The bright and spunky Joshua who loved fashion, the dead sober Composer who reveled in his work, or the somewhat closed off and depressed adult who only wanted one, dangerous thing.

Neku didn’t change clothes. He didn’t care if anyone saw him in a worn hoodie and jeans. It wasn’t as if he was a professional by any stretch, and he sure as hell didn’t want Joshua throwing up on his nice clothes and shoes. Toeing on a pair of loafers, Neku left his apartment and trotted down the stairs to take a brisk walk down to the nightlife of Shibuya.

He didn’t listen to his headphones near as much as he used to. If he did listen to music it was with CAT exclusive earbuds, or at the office on his radio. Otherwise he just enjoyed the music of the city and her people as the day wound into night and back. Neku watched people as they lived and breathed and he remembered that at one time he was just part of the problem and an unknown figure in the crowd.

The bar loomed ahead and Neku nodded at Beat standing nearby.

“Yo, Phones, how’s it hangin’?” Beat slapped him on the arm and they exchanged one of those friendly, secret handshakes they’d come up with in Sunshine one late night. “Y’comin’ in?”

“Unfortunately, no. I’m going next door to pick up a friend.”

“Ah, he’s drunk again, eh? Give ‘im my regards. Lousy bastard,” he laughed.

Neku returned the laugh and waved at Beat as he continued to the bar. The people at the front checked his ID although they recognized it was him, and ushered him inside.

“And then,” the bubbly voice of the older Composer giggled, “I shot him. Bang bang, fingering. I mean, guns. Ha! I’ll drink to that.”

“Joshua Kiryu,” Neku snapped. The bar went quiet and Joshua teetered on his stool. “I’m here to pick your lazy ass up.”

“Neku~!” Joshua lifted a glass of dark amber liquid. “C’mon an’ drink.”

“No thanks,” he sighed. “I’d rather not end up with my pants around my ankles. Up with you.”

“D’aww…everyone…this is my friend…Neku Sakuku…something.”

“Sakuraba,” Neku returned, and helped Joshua off the stool with an arm under both of Joshua’s.

Joshua wobbled and swallowed the rest of his drink before slamming the glass back on the counter. His eyes were sparkling with drunkenness as he slapped several large bills down and he began to sing as Neku dragged him outside into the cool night air. The two of them stood outside while Neku hailed a taxi, and he held Joshua up with an arm around his waist.

“Nekuuuu to the rescuuue…” Joshua mumbled. His hair was longer than usual and it fell over his flushed cheeks and sweat dotted forehead. “You’re a good proxy.”

“Shut up, you idiot.”

He laughed and stumbled into a pole before sliding down to his bottom on the sidewalk. “Neku, come sit with me. The world is beautiful, isn’t it?”

“I’m going to punch you in the face. Get in the taxi.”

Joshua crawled forward a few inches before Neku yanked him up and threw him into the backseat of the brightly lit taxi.

“You know the drill,” Neku sighed.

“Yep,” the man called in the route and the taxi was off.

“SO,” Joshua shouted before giggling an apology, “why did y’come to safe me?”

“Because Mr. H asked me to.”

Joshua fell sideways into Neku’s lap and he scrunched his face up. “I don’t feel good.”

“Don’t throw up until we get home, okay?”

“I don’t want to throw up. I just want to drink.”

Stroking Joshua’s long hair, Neku positioned the Composer into a more comfortable repose. It was quiet in the cab for the rest of the trip back to Neku’s apartment, and he paid the taxi with Joshua’s stash. Why the Composer traveled with so much cash bothered Neku. Was he wanting to get mugged?

Okay, yeah. He’d want that.

Neku lifted Joshua up and out of the backseat, helping him to stumble up the metal stairs and to the second floor apartment Neku’d spent his life in. He opened the door with his keycard and shoved Joshua inside to land over the back of a loveseat. Closing the door behind and locking it, Neku began to remove Joshua’s shoes and socks before taking his own off.

“Why am I upside down?” Joshua burped. “I’m upside down…!”

“Stop your bitching,” Neku barked. He picked Joshua back up and took him to the bathroom just in time for him to collapse almost completely. The toilet was western style-thank God-and he placed Joshua over the seat with his mouth positioned strategically. While the Composer sang into the echoing toilet, Neku found the pile of hair ties he’d kept in case of Joshua. He pulled the hair back into short ponytails and brushed his fingers over the bangs to pin them back.

The sound of vomit hitting water and the smell of stale alcohol filtered up. Joshua began to cry as he vomited twice more, and he heaved for at least half an hour off and on. Eventually he stopped, and he whimpered into the toilet that he didn’t feel so good.

“Of course not,” Neku chastised, “you’re drunk…again. Why are you doing this?”

Bleary eyes stared up at him. The left was a brilliant gold and the right was a soft grey. Joshua’s face was covered in sweat and he watched Neku as if not understanding who had him. A bolt of realization hit as Joshua blinked. “Neku?”

“Hey, there you are. Do you need a shower, or do you want bed?”

“Neku?” Joshua glanced around. “How…oh…oh _no_.”

“Yep. One of those endgame rituals of yours.”

Joshua was still unsteady and he didn’t move from Neku’s lap. “I apologize for my inconvenience.”

“It’s…It’s no big deal.” Neku helped Joshua to stand and he assisted the taller, more aged man out of his clothes and into the shower. “Just take your time and when you’re ready I’ll have coffee and an icepack waiting in the living room.”

“T-thank you, Neku,” he said, still pink, still burping. “You’re too good to me.”

Neku shook his head and left the bathroom to start a pot of coffee. He’d been making his own up until a few months ago when Hanekoma taught him how to correctly use a Keurig and he had bought Neku his own. Joshua enjoyed the different flavors. Neku couldn’t care either way.

He made two cups of strong, black coffee with just a hint of raspberry flavoring. From the fridge he pulled out the blue ice pack and set it in a towel on the counter. There were some leftover crackers and a few unsweet biscuits Joshua might be able to nibble, but he didn’t want to push food on him too soon. Neku could hear the squeak of the shower as it turned off, and not long after the flush of the toilet. The door opened and Joshua exited in a towel and in his more familiar form for Neku.

“You feeling better?” Neku offered the coffee in one hand and the icepack in the other.

Joshua hiccupped, but he nodded and took both things to the couch. He slapped the icepack on his head and sipped the coffee. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” Neku said. He left the living area to find Joshua’s clothes. The idiot had left a couple outfits in the bedroom in the rare occurrence he’d be at Neku’s for the weekend. Neku kept them clean and hung up in the closet. There was a pair of soft pajamas in pale pink, and Neku decided without much thought that he’d take them to Joshua.

Pink was cute on an already red faced man.

“Oh, thank you,” Joshua squeaked. He set the icepack and coffee down before stripping. It would have been a shock had it been the first time, but no, this was one of many. “I continue to bother you, don’t I? I’m not a very fair Composer.”

“You’re a great Composer. Don’t start that shit again.”

Joshua dressed in his pajamas and settled back on the couch. He put the icepack on his neck and he hovered over the coffee to inhale the steam. “Yet here I am, not Composering.”

Laughing, Neku dug in one of his kitchen cabinets. “That’s not a word, Josh.”

“I could make it an imprintable meme.”

“Yeah, you could,” Neku dropped the bag of crackers and cursed, “but you won’t.”

Joshua took a slow sip of coffee. “Sanae called you.”

“Yep. He’s in the middle of a shoot.”

“Son of a bitch,” Joshua hissed, and then held his head. “Oh, that was unwise. I was supposed to be there with him. He’s going to be livid.”

“At you?” Neku carried the crackers over and set them on the table before unwrapping them. “Here, eat a couple of these. It’ll help.”

Joshua took a cracker and sucked on the corner. “He will be disappointed.”

“Yeah, but he’ll get over it.”

“Neku,” Joshua set the cracker down, “why do you do it?”

He glanced back and forth, confused. “Huh?”

“Why do you continue to remain my friend?”

“Are you shitting me?” Neku tilted his head. When it was obvious he was, in fact, not shitting Neku, Neku slapped Joshua on the cheek. “I swear to God if you start doing that depressed crap again I’m going-“

Joshua crashed into Neku. He pressed his distasteful mouth against Neku’s and fell atop him on the rather uncomfortable sofa. Neku squealed and kicked, and he managed to knock the coffee over on the glass table before shoving Joshua back.

“What the fuck, Josh?”

The Composer touched his lips. “You aren’t, are you?”

“No. I’m not.”

“Oh. I remain curious.”

“Look, I’m not your friend because I want you. Hell, half the time I don’t want you at all.” Neku grabbed the towel from the icepack and started mopping up coffee. “I’m your friend because I am. There’s no reason or strings or manipulation. I didn’t like you. I still can’t completely forgive you for the two holes in my chest and you still owe me clothes for that. I’m just…I just…like you as a person.”

Joshua’s skin paled. He stared at Neku as if he had a third head. His eyes narrowed and his mouth fell open to an oddly uncanny degree. “You…you like me as…a person? What nonsense!”

“You are the only nonsense here, asshole. Stay on the couch, I’m getting another towel.”

“No!” Joshua tugged him back. “No. Don’t walk away. You like me. As a person. You don’t want anything from me? You don’t want sex or money or power? Nothing at all?”

“Do I look like I fucking stuttered.”

Joshua darted his gaze around as if completely bewildered. He’d look at Neku, look away, make another weird face, and look back. “Are…are you serious?”

“Are you still drunk?”

“No…I don’t think I am.”

“Good. I’ll get the other coffee.” Neku stood up, waited, and then moved toward the kitchen with the chipped cup and wet towel. He continued to clean the table and pat the floor dry even as Joshua downed the second cup and ate about five crackers. “Are you feeling better?”

“Much,” Joshua sighed. “I feel a little drowsy but otherwise I am quite alright. Thank you.”

“Don’t-“

“-mention it, I know. You’re too good, Neku Sakuraba.”

Neku smiled beatifically. “Well, there was this time I got shot…and then everything changed.”

“Now who’s being the asshole?” Joshua sipped the rest of the coffee in the cup and winked at Neku over the rim. “I promise not to do this again.”

“You said that two weeks ago,” Neku called from the kitchen. “Did you want to stay for breakfast tomorrow? I’ve got some eggs-“

He glanced around the cabinet door and found Joshua was no longer present. The coffee cup was empty, the crackers were eaten, and a note lay atop the bag. Neku didn’t need to read the note to know what it said. It said the same thing each time Joshua got drunk.

Neku laughed softly and shook his head. “See you next month, Josh.”


End file.
